


Waking to Safety

by colchanzero



Category: Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Graphic Description, Nightmares, Past Child Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-16 01:01:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28947828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/colchanzero/pseuds/colchanzero
Summary: What a terrible night to have a nightmare!
Relationships: Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife
Kudos: 9





	Waking to Safety

**Author's Note:**

> I'm gonna try posting some drabbles before making any muti-chaptered fanfiction. Be warned, this may be disturbing to some people so view at your own descretion. I put it as mature for that reason alone, no matter how short it is. Hope y'all like it.
> 
> //Also this is what Bluie looks like for those who are curious. He's Altair's first plush toy
> 
> https://i.pinimg.com/originals/91/3b/fe/913bfe780f0120d847ec43b08baed72b.jpg //

Blood, blood and more blood. The walls were covered in it, the red liquid sliding down the walls and dripping onto the corpses of dead children that surround him. Altair groaned, sitting up and rubbing his head. Even the stench of blood and decaying flesh ran rampant in the air as he sat from where he lay in a pool of blood.  
  
The more he looked around, the more panicked he became. This HAD to be a nightmare. There was no way in hell that the bad ones had kidnapped him in the middle of the night without Cloud noticing. There was no way!  
  
The boy shuddered, feathers fluffing up at the chill from the nothern crater carressed his warm skin. Looking down at his clothing revealed why he was freezing where he stood. A flimsy hospital gown covered in blood was loosely wrapped around his small frame.  
  
He could hear the bad ones in the next room, hushed voices whispering in excitement over their recent discoveries. This room he was in, it was where they put the fresly killed corpses of the children who didn't make it to rot.  
  
His tiny heart started to beat loudly in his chest as he slowly crept towards the door that led outside the disposal area.  
  
"Altair."  
  
The voice echoed around him as he placed his hand on the door, making him jump back in shock. Who was that? Altair's mind struggled to place the voice, only able to determine that it was a close ally. He pushed open the door.  
  
The mangled corpses of the scientiats turned to look at him as he walked in, eyeless sockets staring at him. His tiny body froze in fear, whimpering and crying as they moved slowly towards him like something out of those zombie movies he sometimes watched with Auntie Yuffie.  
  
They seemed to grow taller with each step, or he was shrinking the closer they got and he-  
  
"Altair!"  
  
There was that voice again, it did nothing against the remains of the scientists, but Altair cried out to it nonetheless.  
  
"Pawba!" His terrified voice echoed through the caverns as they got closer and closer. "Pawpaaaa!"  
  
"I'm right here kiddo." The sensation of someone gently grasping his hand caused the creatures to pause for a moment, as if they knew what just happened. Then with lightining speed they ran for him grabbing at him as he screamed loud enough to wake the dead. The boy thrashed and howled, desperate to break free from his attackers. But his arms wouldn't move, as if someone had pinned him to the ground by his wrists and held him there. They swarmed him, preparing to tear him to shreads.  
  
"Altair! Altair buddy, wake up!"  
  
There was that voice again, but this time he could hear it clearly. Then he felt a blinding pain in his side and his eyes shot open with a loud gasp, tears rolling down his eyes.  
  
The first thing he saw was Pawpa's eyes, full of worry as he had his son's wrists pinned to the sides of his head. He had used their cell bond recently, as his pupils were returning to normal from the cat slits they became whenever they used the link between them.  
  
Cloud's expression softened when his son finally woke, releasing one of his wrists to wipe away the tears. Altair was confused and disoriented, but Cloud knew just what to do to help pull him out of his head. He grasped one of Altair's hands like he did earlier, a relieved smile on his face.  
  
"Hey buddy. Are you having some trouble waking up?" Altair nodded, whimpering as the nightmare was still fresh in his head. 

"Okay, can you tell me three things you can see, smell, or touch right now." He brushed back some of Altair's bangs as he waited for a response. It took a moment for Altair to think, but he quickly spoke the more he woke up.  
  
"I can see the glowy stars, f-feel you grip m-mah hand, smell... smell... see your eyes." Cloud smiled, nodding. 

"Good job kiddo." He whispered as Altair put a claw in his mouth, something he often did when coming out of stressful nightmares like this.  
  
"Here, why don't you mouth Bluie instead of sucking your claw. He fell to the floor while you were sleeping." The comforting dog plush was greatfully accepted, and Altair put his mouth over the dog's back as Cloud got off of him. The boy reached out to Cloud, as he thought his father was returning to bed with a puppylike whine.  
  
"Don't worry, i'm taking you with me. Right mama?" Altair heard Tifa murmering in agreement (Had she been at the door the whole time?)  
As Cloud picked Altair up, the small child purred like a happy feline. "Let's go back to bed. Mama and Pawpa will protect you from the bad things, okay?"  
  
Altair didn't stay awake long enough for his parents to return to bed, and fortunately had no memories of the nightmare the previous night.  
  
He was a little confused as to why he woke up in his parents bed, but didn't complain. After all, they must have protected him from something last night.  
  
A new day began, and Cloud was so greatful that Altair was in such a good mood after the previous night. With a goodbye hug and a big smooch on the cheek, he left for his delivery routes, pausing at the church to water the flowers for Altair before he went on his way.  
  
People like his boy were always worth fighting for.


End file.
